Phoenix is smack in the middle of Arizona, and the hotbed for sports in the state. Phoenix and the surrounding area is home to a professional sports team in all four of the major North American sports leagues. Championships haven’t found their way to Phoenix on many occasions, with the Arizona Diamondbacks win in the 2001 World Series, the only championship that a Phoenix team can lay claim to, but that hasn’t stopped Phoenix residents from proudly supporting their teams and the lack of success has certainly not hindered the rise of sports betting in the city.

Sports betting is as big as it’s ever been in Phoenix with more and more residents feeling comfortable wagering on sports online through sites such as Bovada and BetOnline, both of which I will outline below. I will try to shed some light on the legality of sports betting within Arizona, and also touch on some of the various land based locations in Phoenix where you can place horse racing wagers.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Phoenix?

This is a bit of a trick question that I think is easiest explained in two parts.

#1. Sports Betting Operations are Illegal

It’s not legal to run a sports betting operation in the state of Arizona. This applies to both land based sportsbooks and online betting sites operating out of Arizona.

#2. Placing Bets Through Offshore Betting Sites is Legal

While it’s illegal to operate a betting site in Arizona, it is NOT illegal for Arizona residents to sign up to an offshore betting site and place bets. These betting sites, like the two I outline below, are licensed and regulated outside of the United States and if they choose to accept American residents at their site then Americans should feel comfortable placing bets through them.

Best Sportsbooks for Phoenix Residents

The following two sportsbooks are the more popular and reputable betting sites that currently accept American players. I strongly suggest using one of the following sites if you are interested in betting on sports online while located in Phoenix.

Bovada is our top rated site for American players. Bovada was initially launched to cater solely to the American market and it wasn’t until recently that they started accepting players from certain countries outside of the United States. This focus on the American market has allowed Bovada to build a betting platform the meets the needs of the American bettor and also has allowed them to offer fast and secure deposits and withdrawals, which has been an issue for other sportsbooks in the American market. Check out the review below for more information.

Offline Sports Betting in Phoenix

Turf Paradise

Turf Paradise is a popular thoroughbred race track located just 20 minutes north of the Phoenix city central. The race course opened in January of 1956 and recent renovations have made the race course into a state of the art facility. The race track offers live race betting and simulcast betting for races from across the USA. The most notable race that takes place each year at the track is the Turf Paradise Derby, which takes place in mid February and is an unofficial prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

Both Bovada and BetOnline also accept bets on every race that takes place at Turf Paradise.